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Donna Byrne
With sultry good looks and a quick wit, Donna is not only a masterful singer, but also a true entertainer at the top of her game. This is why she has been consistently invited back to the top venues on the East and West coasts. Her unforgettable performances have entertained audiences at: Los Angeles' Jazz Bakery; New York's Tavern on the Green, Blue Note, and Rainbow and Stars; Washington D.C.'s The Willard Hotel and Blues Alley, The Baltimore-Washington Jazz Festival, and Annapolis' King of France Tavern, as well as several tours in Hawaii with the Benny Goodman Tribute Orchestra.
This is why Donna keeps company with such talented musicians as Dave McKenna, Scott Hamilton, Ruby Braff, and Dave Frishberg.
Donna grew up with music in her blood. Encouraged by her father to sing and perform at the age of two, she first emerged as a professional singer on Cape Cod 25 years ago, where her talents caught the eye and encouragement of famed pianist Dave McKenna. After a hiatus to raise her three children, Donna exploded back onto the scene with four critically-acclaimed CDs. Donna's powerful voice, energetic personality, and life experiences give her music an almost spiritual feel, a soft and subtle charge which has brought admiration from the most novice of jazz fans to Tony Bennett.
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Let's Face the Music and Dance
by Mark Barnett
Getting Started If you're new to jazz, go to our Getting Into Jazz primer for some hints on how to listen. CD Capsule Stellar renditions of jazz standards by a wonderful singer who understands the songs and extracts genuine tenderness and excitement from them. To top it off, she's surrounded by a group of jazz musicians who share her sensibility. Background Amid the throng of moaners, shouters and chanteuses ...
read moreDonna Byrne: Licensed to Thrill
by Ed Felper
Any recording titled Licensed to Thrill sets up a certain expectation. Unfortunately, the latest CD from the Boston-based vocalist rarely lives up to its promise. Byrne delivers a solid, competent set of pop and jazz standards, but her thin, reedy voice isn't particularly distinctive or compelling, much less thrilling. What sparkles are the nuanced, textured arrangements by bassist and husband Marshall Wood and the masterful performances by her sidemen. Scott Hamilton's soaring tenor sax underlines the light-hearted rhythms of Nobody ...
read moreDonna Byrne: Don't Dream of Anybody But Me
by Dave Nathan
A true gem of a singer, Donna Byrne's latest is a 14-track journey through the pages of the Great American Songbook, and along the way she brilliantly captures the essence of each of these chestnuts. But Byrne knows how to extend herself far beyond mere recitation of the words. Her delivery is so engaging, so dazzling, so bright that each tune is an entertaining foray into the world of the art of jazz vocal. Not only is she equipped with ...
read moreDouble Bill: Donna Byrne & Trio/ Wood - Ballou, DBL. Bass QT. Tribute to Ray Brown
Source:
All About Jazz
On Monday, January 29th at 8:00 p.m., The University of New Hampshire's Music Department's Traditional Jazz Series presents a double bill of the acclaimed vocalist Donna Byrne and her trio (Tim Ray, Marshall Wood and Jim Gwin) along with the Marshall Wood - Marty Ballou double bass quartet. Ms. Byrne will be performing with her trio and the double bass quartet will be performing compositions and arrangements associated with the late, great bassist, Ray Brown. At the conclusion of the ...
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Donna Byrne's Upcoming Appearances in the Boston area
Source:
All About Jazz
DONNA BYRNE.........performance schedule Friday, April 23, 2004 7 p.m. Free and Open to the Public St. Paul's School Concord, N.H. (603) 229-4681 We are very excited to return to St. Paul's to do another concert for their students and anyone else who would like to attend this FREE performance. St. Paul's has a wonderful performance space. With me that night will be Tim Ray, Jim Gwin, Marshall Wood and special guest, guitarist Jon Wheatley. Sunday, April 25, 2004 Temple Eman-uel ...
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And Cadence: "Peoples! Heads up! Pay attention! This is one fine Jazz Vocalist!!"
Jazz Journal International, London, wrote: "An American singer with class and commitment . . . a very good example of the genre."
Jersey Jazz said: "Donna Byrne has everything a good singer needs . . . the voice, the control, the comprehension. . . . She travels comfortably through a wide vocal range, with phrasing and inflection that extract all the meaning from the lyrics."